This invention relates to the field of voice mail messaging. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of identifying voice mail messages.
A voice mail system of the prior art is illustrated in FIG. 1. The voice mail system 10 includes a PBX (Private Branch eXchange) telephone system 12, a voice mail server 14, and a LAN (Local Area Network) 16. Incoming telephone lines 18 are coupled to the PBX telephone system 12. The PBX telephone system 12 is coupled to the voice mail server. The voice mail server 14 is coupled to the LAN.
The PBX telephone system 12 includes a PBX 24 and first, second, third, and fourth telephones, 26, 28, 30, and 32. The first, second, third, and fourth telephones, 26, 28, 30, and 32 are coupled to the PBX 24. The PBX telephone system 12 can include more or less telephones than the first, second, third, and fourth telephones, 26, 28, 30, and 32. The PBX 24 is coupled to the voice mail server 14.
The LAN 16 includes first and second file servers, 34 and 36, and first, second, third, and fourth computers, 38, 40, 42, and 44. The first and second file servers, 34 and 36, and the first, second, third, and fourth computers, 38, 40, 42, and 44, are coupled together by computer network cables. The LAN can include more or less file servers and more or less computers.
In operation, a telephone caller will place a telephone call. The PBX 24 routes the telephone call to an appropriate telephone, for example the first telephone 26. If the telephone call is unanswered, the telephone caller will be prompted to leave a voice mail message for a voice mail recipient. The voice mail message is received by the voice mail server 14. The voice mail server 14 routes the voice mail message to an appropriate file server, for example the first file server 34, for storage.
The voice mail recipient retrieves the voice mail message by accessing the voice mail server 14 via the first, second, third, or fourth telephones, 26, 28, 30, or 32, via the external telephone, or via the first, second, third, or fourth computers, 38, 40, 42, or 44. When accessing the voice mail server 14 via the first, second, third, or fourth telephone, 26, 28, 30, or 32, or via the external telephone, the voice mail recipient will typically retrieve the voice mail message using touch-tone telephone keys and a voice prompted menu system. When accessing the voice mail message using the first, second, third, or fourth computers, 38, 40, 42, or 44, the voice mail recipient uses a voice mail GUI (Graphical User Interface), and a speaker coupled to the first, second, third, or fourth computer, 38, 40, 42, or 44. The speaker can be part of the first, second, third, or fourth telephone, 26, 28, 30, or 32, or can be a separate speaker.
The voice mail GUI of the prior art is illustrated in FIG. 2. The voice mail GUI 46 includes a title bar 48, a drop-down menu bar 50, an icon menu bar 52, a system control bar 54, a folder list 56, a voice mail message list 58, and a message list status 60. The title bar 48 indicates a software title, which in this case is xe2x80x9cVoice Mail Software,xe2x80x9d a generic title. The title bar 48 also indicates a voice mail recipient name, which in this case is xe2x80x9cChris Hunter,xe2x80x9d and a telephone extension number, which in this case is xe2x80x9c4327.xe2x80x9d The drop-down menu bar 50, the icon menu bar 52, and the system control bar 54 are typical of GUI""s in general.
The folder list 56 includes an inbox 64, which indicates that there are six voice mail messages in the inbox 64. Since the inbox 64 is highlighted, the voice mail message list 58 displays the six voice mail messages in the inbox 64. The message list status 60 indicates that the six voice mail message are in the inbox 64 and that one voice mail message 66 is highlighted. The voice mail message list 58 of the prior art will identify a telephone caller name if the telephone caller is calling from an internal telephone, for example the second telephone 28, using ANI (Automatic Number Identification). The ANI is integral to the voice mail server 14. The voice mail server 14 is programmed with either the telephone caller name, a location, such as xe2x80x9clibrary,xe2x80x9d or a telephone extension number for the first, second, third, and fourth telephones, 26, 28, 30, and 32.
The voice mail message list 58 of the prior art will indicate a caller telephone number or the telephone caller name if ICLID (InComing Line IDentification) is present. The telephone caller name is indicated if the voice mail server 14 has been programmed to indicate the telephone caller name rather than the caller telephone number for the ICLID.
It would be advantageous to be able to identify the telephone caller name for the voice mail message when the ANI or the ICLID is not present. Further, it would be advantageous to be able to identify the voice mail message without relying on a specific telephone number or a specific telephone extension number for the telephone caller.
What is needed is a method of identifying the voice mail message when the ANI or the ICLID is not present. What is also needed is a method of identifying the voice mail message that identifies the telephone caller rather than the specific telephone number or the specific telephone extension that is being used by the telephone caller.
The present invention is a method and apparatus for identifying voice mail messages using speaker identification. The method preferably includes comparing a voice mail message to existing voice samples in order to determine a matching coefficient. If the matching coefficient is within an allowed range, the voice mail message is categorized as a matched voice mail message and a name indicator is coupled to the voice mail message.
The apparatus includes a user interface, a processing unit, and a storage media. The user interface is coupled to the processing unit and the processing unit is coupled to the storage media. The user interface receives the voice mail message and allows access to the voice mail message by a voice mail recipient. The processing unit compares the voice mail message to the existing voice samples, determines the matching coefficient, and assigns the name indicator. The storage media stores the voice mail message.
An embodiment of the invention includes a computer readable medium bearing computer program code. The computer program code includes means for identifying the voice mail message using the speaker identification.